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D. van Greunen and A. Veldsman
to one of communication. Young people are consuming, producing, sharing and
remixing media (Burns et al. 2008). This participatory media environment enables
young people to engage in creative content production, empowering them with new
means of creating and sustaining connections with others. It has also opened up new
debates on how to conceptualise and promote what has come to be termed cyber
citizenship or digital citizenship (Coleman and Rowe 2005).
In South Africa, thousands of students have taken to social media to drive change
as the recent ‘fees must fall’ student protest actions in South Africa demonstrated.
Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter buzzed with live updates of the
protest, and as it gained momentum in South Africa, so did it gain even international
support with messages of solidarity streaming in from institution across the globe.
Social media is the voice of the youth today.
6.8 Case Study: Northern Areas Youth Leadership
Academy (YLA)
This initiative was established in 2011 with the first series of activities commencing in
2012. The Northern Areas Youth Leadership Academy’s goal is to educate the youth,
strengthen the family and rebuild the community by aiding and supporting the educational, spiritual, moral and social development of at-risk-youth. The initiative also
aims to use ICT and its various forms as an instrument to create micro-communities
or clusters of young people who take ownership of the society that they will grow
to inherit. It then envisioned that ICT and then more specifically mobile technology
could support an increased civic engagement.
The use of mobile technology as a means of sharing information, encouraging
and education at-risk youth has resulted in the establishment of an engaged and
connected community. Not only are there now a new generation of leaders but also
a new generation of leaders who have a sense of purpose and the will to bring about
change in their society. The case study did not follow the traditional six steps of a
case study as described by Yin (2014). Instead, the underlying principles of change
management were employed to create the micro-community that uses technology to
drive change.
6.9 Phases of Drive Change
Preparation phase
This intervention differs from other socio-economic initiatives in the Northern Areas
as it is giving voice to the young people living in the community. It aims to channel
youth energy in a positive way to restore the social structures in their communities.
In order to do this, the initiative builds on existing capacities by strengthening natural
D. van Greunen and A. Veldsman
to one of communication. Young people are consuming, producing, sharing and
remixing media (Burns et al. 2008). This participatory media environment enables
young people to engage in creative content production, empowering them with new
means of creating and sustaining connections with others. It has also opened up new
debates on how to conceptualise and promote what has come to be termed cyber
citizenship or digital citizenship (Coleman and Rowe 2005).
In South Africa, thousands of students have taken to social media to drive change
as the recent ‘fees must fall’ student protest actions in South Africa demonstrated.
Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter buzzed with live updates of the
protest, and as it gained momentum in South Africa, so did it gain even international
support with messages of solidarity streaming in from institution across the globe.
Social media is the voice of the youth today.
6.8 Case Study: Northern Areas Youth Leadership
Academy (YLA)
This initiative was established in 2011 with the first series of activities commencing in
2012. The Northern Areas Youth Leadership Academy’s goal is to educate the youth,
strengthen the family and rebuild the community by aiding and supporting the educational, spiritual, moral and social development of at-risk-youth. The initiative also
aims to use ICT and its various forms as an instrument to create micro-communities
or clusters of young people who take ownership of the society that they will grow
to inherit. It then envisioned that ICT and then more specifically mobile technology
could support an increased civic engagement.
The use of mobile technology as a means of sharing information, encouraging
and education at-risk youth has resulted in the establishment of an engaged and
connected community. Not only are there now a new generation of leaders but also
a new generation of leaders who have a sense of purpose and the will to bring about
change in their society. The case study did not follow the traditional six steps of a
case study as described by Yin (2014). Instead, the underlying principles of change
management were employed to create the micro-community that uses technology to
drive change.
6.9 Phases of Drive Change
Preparation phase
This intervention differs from other socio-economic initiatives in the Northern Areas
as it is giving voice to the young people living in the community. It aims to channel
youth energy in a positive way to restore the social structures in their communities.
In order to do this, the initiative builds on existing capacities by strengthening natural